


Out There

by fangirlfordaysss



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: A little Spanish, Bisexual Lance, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Gay Keith, Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is so Pure, Keith/Lance - Freeform, M/M, Major Klance, Minor Allura/Pidge, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Minor Matt Holt/Shiro, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, non-binary Pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-11-21
Packaged: 2018-12-31 03:56:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12124005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlfordaysss/pseuds/fangirlfordaysss
Summary: Everyone is born with the name of their soulmate on their wrist.It's just a matter of finding said person out there in the great big world.





	1. The Big Move

**Author's Note:**

> hey guys! This is my first multi-chap AU on Voltron so please enjoy <3

He was fortunate enough that he was able to even leave Cuba.

Yet, he had to leave behind the upmost important thing in his vida.

His family.

He remembers the plane ride to Spain, then the one to the States. The ache in his heart, the way his eyes wouldn't stop watering or spilling out salty, hot tears. When he first got to Florida, he remembers how he was totally screwed.

His mamá had given him all of their savings from his papá's work in the sugar cane fields. It was about 100 U.S. dollars.

Lance had no clue what he was doing; he didn't speak English, he wasn't sure where to go after getting out of the airport, and he didn't know a single soul.

It was frightening. It was uncomfortable.

Until he met Hunk Garrett—his now best friend: Lance's first friend.

_Lance sniffled, wiping the tears away from his eyes. He was lucky enough to be in Miami where most people speak Spanish and actually are Cuban. It gave him a glimpse of comfort but simply wasn't sufficient._

_He stayed in the airport overnight after much thought. Getting a taxi would be pointless because there weren't any motels around that had rooms available. Everything was completely booked. A taxi would be a waste of money._

_Dios, he missed his family so much. He didn't have any contact to them whatsoever which made it all the more hard to be on his own._

_"Hey, buddy. You okay? You look lost." A big man was hovering over him. A yellow headband wrapped around his head and he had the handle of a large suitcase in his hand._

_Lance looked up at him, stiffening. Was this security? Were they going to kick him out?_

_He certainly didn't look like it. He was holding a suitcase in one hand and food in the other._

_"Lo siento. Todavía no hablo inglés," he told him, standing up to feel less intimidated._

_"Fuck," Hunk cursed to himself, wishing he paid more attention to Spanish class in high school. "Ummm...sorry dude. Yo no....hablar? Is that right? Español."_

_Lance cocked his head to the side curiously. Why was this man saying he didn't know how to speak Spanish...in Spanish? Granted the grammar was horrid. He didn't understand it and didn't try to for the next thing that happened explained everything._

_Hunk had taken out his cellphone, using google translate to ask if Lance was okay._

_The Cuban bit his bottom lip, silently asking if he could type something in just by holding out his hands._

_Hunk had let him and the two had a painfully slow conversation via google translate._

_"¿Quieres quedarte conmigo. Vivo en Orlando." The robotic woman asked._

_'Do you want to stay with me? I live in Orlando.'_

_Lance typed in his response, translating it to English. "I would be very grateful."_

_Thus the immigrant went off with a complete stranger who thankfully didn't murder him._

_He was eternally grateful for Hunk. He had helped him get a job and let him stay in his apartment._

_It was Hunk who helped him apply for his green card so he wouldn't run the risk of being deported--especially with the current presidency as his friend said._

* * *

  
One thing neither talked about was the cursive name with black ink on their wrist. It was the name their soulmate bore.

Hunk wore the name _**Shaylee**_. He wanted to figure out who Lance's soulmate was but each time he asked, the question was deflected.

"I'm getting hopeless. I've lived in Florida for my whole life and I've never once met someone named Shay. Or Shaylee." He had said, defeated one day after work.

"Maybe we should move," Lance suggested. "Do you have a map and a dart?"

"No. Pidge might though."

The energetic Latino hopped up and knocked loudly on their younger neighbor's door. "Anybody home?" He called in a sing-song voice.

A short human opened the door, their glasses lopsided and chestnut-brown hair sticking out everywhere. "Can I help you?"

"Yes. Do you have a map?" Lance leaned against the door frame. "And a dart, possibly?"

Pidge's eyebrows raised before furrowing in thought, "Well those are two, very odd, very specific items. But yes." They disappeared inside the mess or what they called 'my work space'. A minute later they reappeared with a paper map folded up and a dart in one hand.

"Muchísimas gracias," he grinned, taking the items from them.

"Yeah, bring it back when you weirdos are done." They said with a light laugh, shutting the door once the other left.

Lance pinned up the map on an empty wall in their small apartment, smiling a bit. "Hunk, _ven acá_."

The Samoan obeyed; he'd lived with Lance for over to years, long enough to know he said come here.

"Throw this dart at the map. Wherever it lands we're moving, minus any oceans. If fate is real, you'll find your soulmate. And I'll possibly find mine."

Hunk shrugged, taking the dart. "Fate be with us."

He reared his arm back and threw the dart with expertise towards the world map.

  
Two months later, the pair were taking on the Big Apple.

Hunk scored a job as a chef at a fancy restaurant called Carmine's, they were very impressed by his resumé.

He was also able to get his friend a job as a bartender there, as the other had no education post high school due to his lack of money. (Lance was saving up though, he wanted to be an interior designer and he certainly couldn't get there without any majors)

The two found an apartment complex called Altea. The slogan went something like "find your castle for an affordable price."  
  
"Affordable _mi culo_ ," Lance had scoffed, but the truth was the studio apartments there were cheaper than anything else they could find in Manhattan.

* * *

  
_**Keith** _

Lance looked down at his wrist, a frown plastered on his lips. It seemed like this mission of his was impossible. When he first arrived in the city, he had high hopes that he would find the other male. However, he worked nearly every day which cramped his plans.

Instead of resting on his one day off in the week, he decided to explore Times Square. It was scary, being in a big city all by himself—he noted that nothing possibly matched the feeling of when he first landed in Miami. But Lance figured he would never find his soulmate if he rested in the apartment all day.

He stopped at a pizza place, getting four slices to go. He thought Hunk would appreciate it, remembering how he raved on and on about how delicious it was.

 _Balmera Pizza_ –the name was interesting for a street shop. It was decorated in an odd way as well, something Lance had never seen in the city. He shrugged it off, figuring there was a first time for everything.

Lance paid for the pizza and zipped up his blue jacket, not accustomed to the crisp autumn air. In fact, he had even layered a grey hoodie beneath the windbreaker. As he strode out, his right wrist began searing. He yelped out of surprise, dropping the box of pizza.

_"If you ever feel your wrist burn up it's because your soulmate is around, mijo. It's when you'll know." His mamá had ingrained that into his mind many times._

He quickly glanced around, no one in particular catching his eye. The block was practically empty minus a woman walking her dog, talking loudly on the phone.

 _Forget Keith_ , Lance thought as he picked up the box of pizza and began to walk to the subway, _his new name is Fucker since he decided to play with me._

He felt frustration underlying the calm facade he held on the outside, heading to the subway station. Lance kept himself on high alert though his hopes were thrown out the window.

All he wanted for years is someone whom he could hold, love, kiss. Someone who wanted the same thing. He had a brief chance and it slipped right through his finger tips.

 

 


	2. Hiding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith's complicated childhood unfolds and he gets a fresh start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi my loves! I have a warning: there is mention of self harm but nothing graphic in this chapter
> 
> Also! There's a very sarcastic paragraph, see if you can spot it. If not there will be a hint at the notes at the end haha

"Keith." a father beckoned his son, standing at the railing of the winding steps in their large house.

A small boy with scruffy black hair and big purple eyes came bounding down the stairs. He was five years old and ready to start his first day of kindergarten.

"Yes daddy?" He asked, looking up at the large man. His hair was starting to grey and he had stubble on his chin that his son always begged him to shave because it tickled when he kissed him goodnight.

"Remember what we talked about." The man bent down, taking the young boy's hands. He hated doing this, but he was just protecting him.

"Never let my writhst...writhsssst...show." Keith was missing his two front teeth and temporality had a lisp.

"Good job, kiddo." His father ruffled his hair.

Keith smiled proudly, skipping to the door and waiting for his father to join him. Together they walked down the street hand in hand. He waited impatiently for the yellow school bus, looking down at his feet. He kicked the gravel, absently slipping his hand from his dad's.

The boy looked down at his hands before slowly rolling up his sleeve. He didn't know why his daddy wanted him to hide the name. He was simply too young to know what was wrong with having the name **_Lance_**  engraved there.

Through the kindergartener's eyes a name is a name. A soulmate is a soulmate.

 _Slap!_ "What did I tell you about showing your wrist?" Mr. Kogane demanded.

Keith felt the tears well up in his eyes as he quickly pushed down his shirt, covering up the name that remained black whilst the skin on his arm turned red beneath it from the hit. "Sorry," he mumbled out. He willed himself not to let the tears spill; another lesson his father had taught him.

Crying is weak. If you cry you're weak. Only girls can cry. He had told him that when Keith was in the midst of a tantrum.

He didn't want to be a girl. He wanted to be a strong boy. So, he made sure that he wouldn't cry no matter what.

_Not even when mommy left._

* * *

  
When Keith was twelve, he fully understood why he wore long sleeves and didn't own any tank tops or t-shirts even though Texas was hotter than the Devil's armpit.

"Who's your soulmate, Keith?" One of his 'friends' had asked, a sneer hiding behind his tone.

The pre-teen kept his hands gripping the cuff of his sleeves fearfully. He didn't anticipate the day anyone would find out, yet here it was.

"None of your business," he muttered, glaring at the other who went by the name Lotor.

"Isn't it now?" The other suddenly wrestled Keith to the ground, ripping off his jacket with ease. He was surprisingly strong for a thirteen year old but at the same time Keith didn't put up much of a fight.

He couldn't keep avoiding the inevitable.

"Lance?" Lotor smirked, "you're a fucking fag! I knew it all a long. Can't wait until everybody knows about your little secret."

Keith's heart fell and he turned his head to the side, managing to sit up right before the vomit came up.

For months, it was all anyone talked about.

_"Keith's soulmate is a boy."_

_"He also threw up all over Lotor."_

_"That's absolutely disgusting."_

_"God gates fags, did ya know that?"_

He had even tried convincing his dad to move somewhere. Somewhere that he was unknown to everyone. Somewhere that if something did slip, it wouldn't be a big deal. Somewhere he could wear long sleeves everyday and not pass out from overheating.

Mr. Kogane had simply told his son to "Stop being a pussy." And "Grow up. Kogane's don't run away from their problems, they face them."

Keith couldn't wrap his mind around that statement. He'd been hiding his problem his entire life and one day the same exact man who's made him wear clothes to cover up his arms is telling him to man up? That he can't just run away from whatever trouble he was having? It was utterly ludicrous.

 _Why not?_ He thought miserably. The razor blade felt heavy in his hands but he was ignorant of any healthy coping mechanisms.

His father would never see it anyways; no one would for that matter.

* * *

  
Ten years later, Keith Kogane found help the help that he needed. He learned how to cope. He learned that having a man's name on his wrist is normal. He wasn't the only one.

On one of his sessions, Kathy–his therapist–suggested a move to New York. It was on their "one year anniversary" like a _congratulations you aren't as fucked up anymore_ (how Keith saw it), you're free to go and start your life. He was twenty-two and graduating college within the next two months.

_"Everyone gets a fresh start there," she had said, patting Keith's hand lightly. "Next week when you come back, I'll have an office in New York referred to you. Remember though, it's ultimately your decision, Keith. Whether you go or not is not for me to decide."_

He didn't want to start fresh or go to a new office or be away from his home. Keith felt an attachment to Texas, more so the negativity holding him back. It was as if there were dark vines wrapped around him and wouldn't let go.

It took a while for the raven-haired male come to a realization that his hometown was toxic to him. It held the worst parts of his life that he needed to get away from.

* * *

  
Three years later Keith Kogane was getting an apartment by himself in the suburbs of New York. It was forty minutes from the City, which he finally admitted to himself that he wanted to see.

He was a southern boy exploring the north with absolutely no idea what the hell he was doing.

He bit down on his bottom lip, bringing in the last of his boxes to the small apartment. For now, he was just going to go explore the city.

Keith got off the train and found himself in a huge train station with shops, food, and people who were leisurely walking around with luggages. He shoved his ticket for the way home in his pocket and pushed his way through other passengers, arriving to the revolving doors.

Although it was fifty degrees Fahrenheit and breezy, he left his red cropped jacket unzipped because having it zipped would make him look dumb. No one wears a red cropped jacket and absolutely never a _zipped_ red cropped jacket.

He didn't know where he was going. Didn't bother to pull out a map, he'd figure it out. Keith had a mantra: too much focus will make this experience less enjoyable.

Keith wandered around. He didn't buy anything or shop but he went into a few stores in Times Square. It was revitalizing, like he was alive again. The dark places he still carried on his back seemed to dissipate as he traveled the surrounding areas.

 _Kathy was right. New York is a perfect place for a fresh start._ He felt a smile—an actual smile!—creep up onto his lips. He couldn't remember the last time he was genuinely happy, genuinely smiling.

As it grew later in the afternoon, he made his way out of the crowded commercial neighborhood. It became too much to handle as more people filled in the busy shopping, restaurant, and theater area.

He found himself walking ten blocks up, enjoying the sights and sounds and even smells. It was a different air than in Texas, more polluted, yet there was something about it that was inviting;

He belonged.

Keith inhaled the scent of pizza wafting down the block. His stomach growled and he realized how hungry he was. His feet moved all the way to the corner for him where he saw a bright flashing sign switched from 'OPEN' to 'BALMERA PIZZA'.

He peered inside at the peculiarly decorated pizzeria and bit his lip, something was telling him to go inside howbeit, he slowly drew away from the door.

An invisible source was screaming at him: do not to go in! He turned his back when he felt it.

The burn.

Keith grabbed ahold of his wrist, in a panic. He glimpsed over his shoulder and saw a man who had dropped his pizza. He was tan, tall, brown hair...it had to be–

He rounded the corner quickly, heart thumping against his chest.

"Lance," he croaked out, looking down at his wrist. He pulled up the sleeve of his jacket, the cuff resting halfway up how forearm. The man's name seemed to be pulsing against his pale skin.

Keith leaned his head back against the brick that was supporting his body weight, questions and thoughts running through his head.

_Why did you hide? What the fuck is wrong with you?_

He stared at the name **_Lance_** and took a sharp breath, matching the name to the body he saw. The face was unclear although Keith had a strong hunch that the man who dropped the pizza was in fact his soulmate. Besides, nobody else was on the block unless it was a mysterious figure inside Balmera Pizza.

He ran his slender fingers through his hair, exhaling. His back was still against the cool brick, watching a woman cross the street who was talking obnoxiously loudly with a small dog on a leash.

Keith was defeated. He missed his chance.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's totally not the part where I described his fashionable outfit choices


	3. The Sunrise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hunk and Lance get a surprise visit.

"Hey bud, how's it goin'?" Hunk greeted loudly as the door opened. Lance just shrugged and set down the pizza box down on the coffee table.

"What's the matter?" He opened up the box, picking up a slice.

"My soulmate is a fucker," He groaned after settling on the couch.

Hunk cocked his head to the side, taking a bite of the pizza as the other moved his feet to his lap, laying on his back along the rest of the couch.

"Okay so I was walking around Times Square for a bit. And first of all, that place is practically heaven. Do you know how many theaters there are? And shops? There's also a few restaurants that are probably too expensive for us..." he trailed off before shaking his head to bring himself back to where he was going with the story. "Anyways, I decided to go to Balmera's because it wasn't as crowded. As I was walking out my wrist began to burn–"

"–That's great! That means your soulmate is in this very big city!" Hunk interjected with a mouthful of food.

Lance scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, if she didn't hide from me it would've been the cherry on top of _la torta_."

"It's cake. And you never, ever, put cherries on cake. Or anything for that matter." He tsked, pursing his lips in disappointment.

He rose an eyebrow, "Torta is cake in Spanish." He paused for a moment before smirking, "Ain't nothing wrong with cherries on cake. Or anything for that matter. Like ice-cream or even pie."

Hunk looked at him in disgust, "I can't even believe we're friends."

"You picked me up from the airport."

"You looked like a lost puppy!"

"I practically was."

"So I _had_ to do something."

The playful banter went back and forth until a knock at the door interrupted the two.

"I'll get it," Lance said, realizing Hunk had no intentions of putting down his pizza. He hummed a little tune, swinging open the door.

"Whaddup, bitches? Miss me?" Pidge sauntered through the door with a little smug smile. They didn't get too far without being tackled in a hug by Lance and shortly followed by Hunk.

"It's been so long. What the heck, dude? You haven't returned any of our texts or calls!Like I know your busy but you can't just leave us hangin'."Hunk pulled away from squishing Pidge however the Cuban was latched on tightly, refusing to let go.

"I know, I know. I check my messages and then I forget to respond. Then I remembered like a few days ago. So instead of answering I decided to buy a plane ticket to see you losers," they explained, beginning to pry Lance off of them. "I'll be out of your hair soon."

"You act like you're bothering us by being here." Lance stuffed his hands in his pockets, "stay as long as you want."

"I would. But I only took three days off of work. Which leaves me here for two days and I'll be leaving on the third day." They said, "I figured it would be enough. Anyways, we should go out to dinner or something tonight."

"I work tonight," Hunk groaned.

"And it's not like we're made of money," Lance added with a laugh.

"Take off work."

"I can't," he complained.

"I did."

"Yeah but you're an engineer and can, quite literally, afford to miss work."

"Mhm," the Cuban hummed.

"I'll pay for dinner."

"I have to pay for rent," Hunk was adamant, "but we can go out for breakfast tomorrow."

They sighed, "If that works for you, then I suppose we could."

"You're the best, Pidge." Lance ruffled their hair with a laugh, earning a disgruntled sound from them. "And tonight and it's you and me, dude."

"Oh joy," they said sarcastically, fixing their hair even though it still stuck out in different places.

"Cheer up. _Yo soy lo mejor. Hunk es lo peor,_ " Lance said cockily, standing up straighter.

"You said something about me and I demand to know what!" Hunk pointed an accused finger at him.

"I believe he said that he's the best and you're the worst," Pidge said matter-of-factly, pushing up the round glasses further on their nose as it slipped down. They stepped in between the two males who immediately started up with their playful arguing again.

"I'm the best."

"Nuh uh, I am!"

"Samoans are better than Cubans."

A loud gasp came from Lance and he put his hand over his heart. "How could you say that to me?" He demanded in a very thick Spanish accent.

"This isn't one of your Telenovelas, Lance." Pidge said, laughing. "let's all catch up before Hunk has to leave for work."

* * *

  
"It's been a while." Pidge said, settling on the couch with a _café cubano._

"I know. I missed you," Lance smiled softly and plopped next to them.

"Aw," They chuckled, "so what's been going on? Anything exciting?"

"Well I guess my soulmate lives in New York too. I was out getting pizza for me and Hunk. And so I got it and I was walking it and suddenly I felt my wrist burn! I accidentally dropped the pizza because the sensation...it was just so _real_. Like holy fuck, I'm going to meet my soulmate. I looked around and there was no one there. Just some girl walking down the block with her dog," he recounted, lips turning into a deep frown.

"You sure it wasn't the dog that was your soulmate?" They teased, nudging him. They tried to lighten the mood but only earned a half smile. "Or the girl...it could've been the girl."

"No, it was definitely not the girl."

"How can you be sure?"

"She probably would've stopped."

"Maybe..." They opened their mouth to offer another suggestion but their eyes were drawn to the wrist shoved in their face.

**_Keith_ **

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Please don't tell Hunk."

"What? Why?" Pidge demanded.

"He thinks my soulmate is a girl." He pursed his lips, "I know he probably won't have anything against it...could you just refrain from it though? I'll tell him when I'm ready."

"Alright, I won't. Don't worry about it." They put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing the tenseness away. It seemed to calm Lance down. Honestly, Pidge was glad that he had confided in them. They always felt the odd one out of the group and suddenly they felt as though they had a closer connection.

" _Gracias, amigo_." He gave them a grateful smile.

"No problema."

"You learn faster than Hunk," he teased and shoved them gently.

"I try. He doesn't."

"Pretty accurate." He nodded, reaching forward with a chuckle.

"Hey at least you know this Keith is out there somewhere, close to here. He at least lives here or in the realms of New York."

"Yeah. That's a good point. I was just hoping I wouldn't have to take some wild road trip all throughout this place. Oh well," Lance leaned into the corner of the couch, yawning. It was late, nearly eleven. He watched Pidge drink the Cuban coffee. "You know you'll be up for hours. It's literally coffee with espresso and sugar."

"I know, I'm planning on staying up. I don't enjoy sleeping." They took a sip, humming at the taste. "Besides this shit is fucking good."

"It's how my mom always made it," he responded fondly, rubbing his fingers on his knees to distract him from the arising sadness.

"You miss them don't you?" Pidge blinked.

"Very much. Sometimes it's unbearable and I don't even know what to do with myself. If only I could have at least some way to contact them, I would be more...more...at peace, I guess." Lance rubbed at his eyes, pushing back the tears. He hasn't felt the pain in his heart since the first few weeks of being in America. Normally he hid the feeling, putting on a facade of joy. He didn't like bothering people with his emotions, especially not Hunk since he had already been such a help to him.

"I understand. Matt was deployed to Afghanistan a year ago. I haven't gotten any calls or letters from him. Usually you hear back, but I haven't. And I wish he was back." Pidge inhaled deeply. Their breath shook, "it's better than getting a phone call or having people show up at my parent's house to let us know he's dead."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Pidge." Lance set a hand on their shoulder.

"It's alright."

"We both know the feeling. We both know it's not alright."

They sighed. "You're right. You know what though?"

"No, what?"

"We're going to find a way to contact your family and my brother. I'm smart, you're driven. We're a perfect team."

That earned a grin from the Latino. "You're absolutely right. We're going to do this. I have complete faith in us."

* * *

  
"Trust me dude, all my coworkers talked about this diner," Hunk said, leading them inside. The diner looked run-down on the outside, vines growing all the way up the wall and the sign was missing a letter.

It was in Port Chester, a small town located forty-five minutes from the city.

As soon as they stepped foot inside, Lance recognized the language; the people who owned it were Hispanic. He wasn't positive about the nationality yet he took the language to their advantage and walked up to the hostess, asking for a table for 3.

The friends were all seated and at a booth in the corner. The seats were torn around the edges and a bright blue color with a red table that wobbled.

Hunk's coworkers were right. The food was delicious despite the look of the place. It was a "never judge a book by its over" type of thing. The diner, _El Amanecer,_ certainly was a diamond in the rough.

Halfway through their meal, Lance felt his phone vibrating nonstop. He took it from his back pocket and checked the number: unknown. From Miami, Florida.

"Hey, I think I should take this," he said sounding distant as thoughts raced around in his mind. Who could be calling him from Miami? "Excuse me."

He was outside in no time, clicking on the green button to accept it. Instead of the voice of his mother, which he had high hopes of hearing, it was an automated call. He hung up immediately and shoved his phone in his pocket miserably and turned to head back inside, smacking straight into a man. Lance fell back on his rear-end, but nothing on his body ached. His wrist was burning again, searing. It was more painful than the last time.

He looked up to see him standing there.

Lance opened his mouth however no words came out. He stood up quickly, the two staring at each other for a while.

Bright blue eyes meeting the purple ones.

No words were said.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> El Amanecer is sunrise in Spanish, in case y'all were wondering about the title of this chapter:)
> 
> Also I felt like Pidge and Lance really needed a moment together to show their connection. I feel like that doesn't happen much


	4. Clueless

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is anxious and Lance isn’t completely himself around him.
> 
> Late night phone calls

Neither knew what to do next.

It certainly wasn't going to be movie moment—they run into each other's arms, get married the next day, and live happily ever after.

 _This is real life,_ Keith reminded himself. _And this time, I can't hide._

"Don't go!" Lance said quickly and popped up off the ground. He was embarrassed by his haste, but he wasn't going to let Keith get away. Not this time. "At least before you go," he took a breath and a moment to think. "Give me your phone number."

Keith detected some sort of accent in his voice though couldn't quite pinpoint it. It seemed like Lance was trying to hide it or something of the sort. He zoned out after being asked for his phone number, simply staring at the face of his soulmate. He took in all of his features, almost overwhelmed by how surreal this seemed.

“You still there?” Lance raised an eyebrow, a slight laugh escaping his lips.

"Right!" Keith flushed a bright red and pulled out his phone, exchanging numbers with him. The laugh rang in his ears, sounding like sleigh bells during Christmastime.

It was awkward with many fumbles even though all they did was take each other's phone's and punch in their number. Lance looked at Keith for a second before adding a profile picture for himself then proceeded to return his phone to his hand.

"Here." Keith gave the other back his phone and collected his own, shoving it in his back pocket.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

"So, I'll see you around then?" Lance rubbed the back of his neck.

"Of course," Keith's voice almost cracked and he offered a small smile.

"Good." He breathed out.

"I'll see you." He nodded quickly and bit down on his lip before continuing to his car.

Lance stood in the same spot for two minutes before finding himself able to walk back inside. The time he spent with Keith took a total of ten minutes, leaving Hunk and Pidge worried about their friend. He made his way back inside and slid back into his spot next to Pidge, trying to keep a calm mask over his frantic thoughts. Most of them resembling this:  _oh my god, I can’t believe I just met Keith._

"Hey, buddy. Something wrong?" Hunk asked. It wasn't like Lance was obvious about anything, but Hunk was Hunk. He could just tell.

"No, nothing at all." He answered, going to finish his food.

"Was the phone call important?" Pidge inquired, tilting their head to the side.

"No. Automated call."

"I'm sorry."

"No big deal. Silly of me to even think it was...” he trailed off, looking down at the glass in front of him. "I took long because I ran into someone."

"For ten minutes?" Hunk questioned, raising an eyebrow. He knew there was more to the story that Lance wasn't telling them and subtly tried to coax him into saying.

"Uh huh." He nodded, running his fingers over the condensation on his cup. "For ten minutes." He repeated absently. His mind wandered, thinking back to those large purple eyes. They were a bit slanted which made Lance think he was part Asian, but he couldn't guess just based on his looks.

His hair was as dark as night, pitch black. The only real analogy he could think of was a raven. Personally, he hated ravens. He saw them as hideous creatures and thought of them as ill omens.

The day before he left Cuba, he saw one. Lance wasn't positive if he really saw it, or if it were merely a figment of his imagination.

Certainly, Keith was no ill omen. The opposite, in fact. He saw him as a good sign, like everything in his life is slowly starting to fall into place.

Besides, Keith is stunning. He is more than what he had pictured in his mind for many years. Lance could see them being together and the puzzle pieces started to fit.

He sucked in a breath, realizing he was falling in love with the other's looks without even getting to know him. His mind replayed the moment where they first met eyes, and then his traveled elsewhere, drinking in every detail of Keith that he could:

The red cropped jacket, the fitted black t-shirt he wore, the way he stood defensively with his arms crossed over his chest. Though his hands were tucked underneath his arms, he swore he could make out gloves on his slender pale fingers. Keith stood a few inches shorter than Lance however he was certainly more built. His hair color was gorgeous, the style not so much. Lance seriously wondered if he was stuck in the 1980s.

* * *

  
For the remainder of the day, Keith was completely out of it. Normally, he shut himself down when he couldn't figure out what to do. He would hold himself back, build that wall around him higher and higher, to the point of no return sometimes.

He paced his apartment, occasionally kicking an empty box, still laying around from when he moved, hard against the wall. By the late afternoon the cardboard boxes were either crushed, flattened, or on their side. His stress showed through anger, as did many of his other emotions besides happiness, yet that feeling was a rarity.

Keith settled in his small room, sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands digging in his hair. He was confused and had no clue what he was doing.

And all of his confusion and anger stemmed from one man. _One man who didn’t even do anything but ask for a phone number._

One man who’s hair was a light brown and seemed to hang perfectly over his eyebrows. One man who’s eyes were a brighter blue than the sky. One man whose name is Lance.

Whose name is on _his_ wrist.

Who is  _his_ soulmate.

Multiple thoughts swarmed his mind and he couldn’t find one to concentrate on; anxiety began to manifest itself into his body until he couldn’t function. Keith sat in his room until the moon replaced the sun and the sound of the birds chirping were replaced by the sound of crickets.

He couldn’t understand why these feelings were getting to him. 

Tears were streaming down his face and he wiped them away quickly. He remembered his therapist said it was okay to cry, that he didn’t have to bottle up his emotions. That crying didn’t make him less of a man, contrary to what his father hammered into his mind. He wasn’t good at crying when he should.

He found himself not being good at any coping techniques his therapist suggested him. He began to think moving to New York wasn’t ideal; rather detrimental as he was away from Kathy and his mundane surroundings.

Keith jumped out of his thoughts when his phone began buzzing. It had been sitting next to him since he got home from breakfast, he hadn’t even bothered to look at it.

He didn’t bother to look at the caller ID, answering with a simple, uninterested “Hello?”

“H-hey, Keith. It’s Lance,” the man on the other end talked as though he was shy (which Hunk and Pidge both knew to be false; he was incredibly outgoing and flirtatious).

“Oh,” Keith was surprised and he immediately laid back on his bed, his heartbeat speeding up. “Hey Lance.”

“Sorry, if this is a bad time–“

“No worries, this is a perfect time,” He answered quickly, immediately wanting to apologize for interrupting Lance.

“Oh good. I just wanted to call because I thought it would be better for us to get to know each other. And I know most people like texting better but I have pretty bad grammar...” Lance rambled on, running his fingers through his hair. He was in his room, sitting up on his bed. Hunk and Pidge decided to call it night at nearly nine o’clock; they had to leave for the airport and both males would accompany. However, Lance knew he had business to attend to before getting to bed.

“I would love to get to know you,” Keith said. He wished it sounded as enthusiastic as he actually felt, but he couldn’t bring himself to doing so.

“Great!”

The two began talking back and forth, bouncing questions off of one another.

It calmed down Keith’s previous worries and besides, he got to know a little bit of personality behind that gorgeous face.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So I’m going to be doing a chapter on Pidge which will segway into Shiro and Allura and stuff like that but he next chapter will be a bit more of Klance fluff!


	5. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a bit of fluff/Klance getting to know each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways so I said this would be a slow burn,,, I’m trying to pace it here,,, I’m just such a sucker for my boys

The phone call was short-lived. They got to know a few miscellaneous things; birthdays, full names, and favorite colors. Lance desperately wanted to talk with the other all night, but he had to get up early to go to the airport with Pidge.

Keith was disappointed when the other had to go, he hadn’t realized that all while they were talking his heart was beating harder and harder. He found it easier to go to sleep that night and when he woke up for work, he felt rejuvenated.

Once he got him from his long day, he received a text.

 **_From Lance:_ **  
_Hey! Was thinking how bout we hang out soon? I’m free on Wed if you maybe wanna go out? Or sometin like that._

Keith had smiled at the message and quickly typed up a response:

_Love 2. Central Park 2:30?_

They continued the exchange of messages until a time, place, and date were set up that worked for the both of them. It took a little bit of compromising because of their work schedules, and Keith didn’t live in the city which made it all the more difficult.

* * *

  
Lance arrived at the park early, taking a seat on a bench near the agreed spot they would meet. He looked around, humming a Celia Cruz song to himself, stopping only when he saw a mop of black hair with a red jacket coming towards him.

He chuckled to himself, wondering why he was wearing the gloves again.

“Hey,” Lance smiled softly, standing up.

Keith put his hands in his pockets, “How’s it going?” He asked as they began to walk along together.

“Pretty well. You?” He looked over at him, taking smaller steps so they could walk at the same pace.

“You know, I’ve actually not been too bad,” he answered.

“That’s good to hear.”

“Yep.”

Both males carried forward, wind blowing harshly through the air.

“Can I just say something?” Lance zipped up his jacket, deciding weather-wise they had chosen the wrong day to go galavanting through Central Park.

“Go for it.”

“Your mullet is the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” He laughed, nudging Keith gently.

“Oh, ha ha, very funny,” he retorted dryly, rolling his eyes.

“I’m serious,” Lance replied, grinning nonetheless. He looked around and then tilted his head, seeing a tree over off a few yards away. “wanna go sit underneath that...um...” he groaned quietly, trying to rack his brain. “ _Cómo se dice...eso...árbol.._ ”

Keith stared at him. “The tree?” He offered, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes! The tree. Blanked for a minute there.” he chuckled and headed towards it, the other following close behind. His cheeks were a bright pink, either from the cold or simply complete embarrassment. Lance made himself comfortable, tucking his long legs up to his chest.

“So...you’re Hispanic, I’m assuming?” Keith sat beside him, criss-crossing his legs. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

“Cuban.” Lance replied, pushing his back up against the tree. “Born and raised.”

“Wow.” He licked his lips, “That sounds cool. You should tell me more about it.” He mentally face palmed at how painfully awkward he sounded.

“Okay, well I’m the youngest in my family.” He started, beginning to rub his hands as he spoke. “My mom and dad saved their money from working for a very long time to get me here because I was technically the youngest, besides my niece and nephew. But my sister wanted to stay in Cuba because there really wasn’t any way all four of them could make it here with what little money they–we had.” Lance paused, thinking back to the smaller house they lived in. It contained over ten people making it a tight squeeze but they managed. Lance’s mom always told him that others had it worse. “Are you sure you want to hear about this? It’s sort of depressing.”

“I’m all ears,” Keith stated simply with a shrug.

“Okay.” He nodded, “so long story short, my dad and mom saved enough and sent me here with about a hundred dollars. I was in the Miami Airport, stayed overnight because I was 18 and I had no clue what to do. All of the motels were booked and hotels were expensive. Hunk found me. And he took me back to his apartment–“

Keith laughed a little, “wait a second, you let a complete stranger take you to his apartment?”

“Not to mention I didn’t speak English.”

“Oh my god.”

“I know. It was dangerous. He’s my best friend though. He helped me apply for my green card which took two years to get. And in six months I can apply for complete citizenship.”

“It’s like the final stretch for you then, huh?”

“Yeah. I’ll be happy because I know my family would be proud. You know, getting to have opportunities they didn’t.” Lance rubbed his knee with his finger. “I’ve been talking about myself a lot. Go ahead and tell me more about yourself. Like your childhood or stuff like that.”

Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Trust me, it’s nothing as exciting as your story.”

“I don’t care. I want to hear it,” He said stubbornly, turning to face him.

“Why?” He raised an eyebrow. He mentally slapped himself, unable to understand why he couldn’t just tell him bits and pieces. _Why did he have to make everything so difficult._

Lance shrugged, playing with the edge of his sleeve. “Because...well, you know, eventually we’re going to be together. And I want to get to know you. Even though we’re soulmates it’s not like we’re just going to jump right in and get married tomorrow.” His answer was timid, he was scared to say what hadn’t been said yet. They are _soulmates_.

“Right. That would be weird. And definitely not how dating works,” he nodded in agreement. “Well, if you must know, I’m half Korean. My mother. I don’t speak the language because she was only in my life up until I was three. One day she just took off. I lived in Texas on this huge ranch with my dad and life...it was decent,” Keith didn’t elaborate, he didn’t want to, and decided to stop there.

“When did you move here?” Lance realized he shouldn’t press any questions especially since they just met two days before and this is their real first time getting to know each other.

“A month or so ago. What about you?”

“About two months.”

“Why did you move?” said Keith, curiously.

Lance panicked, not wanting to say it was because him and Hunk were searching for their soulmates. “Why did you move here?” He shot back instead, his signature smirk playing on his lips.

“I asked you first,” the other male crossed his arms.

“I asked you first,” he repeated, childishly.

“Are you mocking me?” Keith kept his eyebrow raised.

“‘Course not, Mullet.” Lance grinned.

“You definitely are now.” He reached out to poke him.

“Uh uh,” He tutted, popping up and away from Keith, “you’re going to have to catch me first.”

He took off sprinting, leaving Keith behind in his dust until he decided to run after him. Keith knew a head start was only fair; Sure, Lance had long legs. But Keith moved like a roadrunner.

He took up a different route, veering around a tree until he found himself ahead of Lance. He quickly darted right and skidded to a stop in front of the running man. Quick to realize that wasn’t the best idea.

Lance didn’t see him and toppled right smack on top of him to the ground. Keith, luckily, broke his fall. Keith, unluckily, hit the ground.

“I am so sorry.” He apologized immediately, rolling off of the other.

He groaned, shaking his head. “That was my fault.”

“You’re right. But I probably hurt you so I apologize,” he chuckled breathily and slowly sat up. Keith followed suit, slouching forward.

Lance reached over, helping him get some grass out of his hair with a soft laugh. “Ooh, your hair is soft.” His fingers momentarily threaded through his locks.

“You can’t touch it because you make fun of it,” Keith joked and lightly pushed at his hand.

“Aw. _¿Por favor?_ ” Lance pouted, his hand moving back to his hair.

Keith raised his eyebrows at the other male, trying to ignore the pounding of his heart against his chest. “Alright, fine. Only this one time though.”

* * *

  
“I’ll walk you back.” He suggested. He actually found himself enjoying Lance’s company.

It was most fun he had in years, probably. Keith couldn’t think of any other time he genuinely was happy, except when he first explored the city. When he and Lance had their first encounter.

“You sure? It’s getting late and I know you live kinda far.” Lance looked over at him.

It was towards dinner time and getting colder as the sun went further down into the horizon. “I’m sure. Not a big deal.”

“Alrighty.” He began walking, Keith by his side.

They walked idly, neither wanting to leave the other. There wasn’t much talking, just the occasional small talk or Lance pointing out pigeons he saw on the way.

Keith learned Lance is very flirtatious.

Lance learned Keith is very closed-off.

Their hands brushed against each other’s a few times as they made their way to Lance’s building. Neither men wanted to make the first move, the initial grab.

 _This is the first date,_  Lance reminded himself, _you can wait._

Keith bit down on his lip, a habit he found himself doing more often. _He probably doesn’t want to hold your hand._

“Well, this is me.” Lance stopped in front of a large apartment complex called Altea.

“Do want me to walk you up?” Keith stopped alongside of him.

“No, it’s alright.” He shook his head. “You walked all the way here and that was nice of you. You certainly didn’t have to anyways.”

“I wanted to,” He said absently, “Have a goodnight, Lance.”

“You too, Keith.” Lance looked over at him, tilting his head down to get a good look at his profile. He licked his lips unsure if he should go in for a hug or shake hands. He decided to do disregard both choices and instead began heading up the stairs into the building.

He stopped at the door and glanced back at him, Keith had already disappeared around the corner.

Lance made it to his bed, in a daze. His heart was swelled with joy. With love. With feelings that hadn’t been there since being with his family.

Yes, Hunk filled the void.

However, not in the way that Keith was.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next up we will have more of our beloved Pidge!!


	6. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge gets an unexpected visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So this is a pretty short chapter but it will tie into the plot, later on. You shall see, my friends

* * *

Pidge Holt, formerly called Katie until they came out as non-binary, worked at Environment Engineering Consultants Incorporated in Tampa. They were one of the youngest consultants and one of the smartest.

Pidge always had the best ideas for solutions to creating less pollution when other companies wanted to build (this sometimes led to jealousy when their ideas were picked over their coworker’s). However they personally believed Florida was an unsuitable place to have large enterprises. “ _It’s pretty much a swamp and susceptible to many hurricanes and other natural disasters,”_ they complained to their brother once.

Their brother responded by asking why she as working as an environmental engineer in Florida when they could go practically anywhere else to do the same thing.

They replied, _It’s because I love the warm weather._

In reality, they were simply comfortable where they were in life. They didn’t have many friends—well none. They were snarky, blunt, and came off as a ‘know it all’ to most. They knew that and preferred to be by themselves but sometimes they wanted company.

Hunk was a kind soul, inside and out. From day one, when they first moved in he always strived to make conversations every time they crossed paths. Or invite them out.

He also had some nervous tendencies and quite actually threw up once because of pressure, but they didn’t mind. He was their friend, vice versa. Hunk helped him in numerous ways that he didn’t even know.

Pidge’s thoughts were intricate and overwhelming at times. When Matt was deployed to Afghanistan, they couldn’t function properly. Matt was the only thing occupying their mind. They were incredibly worried for him.

Having a friend to go to the movies with, play video games, and text tremendously improved their worried state. Then, he and Lance moved to New York.

Pidge was upset, but understanding. Life went on as usual.

They still had not received any letters or calls from Matt. Their parents hadn’t either. Though, none of the officers had said anything to the Holts that might clue in on his well-being. They had to assume he was fine. That Matt was surviving and courageously serving their country along with other incredibly brave men and women.

They wanted to hear from him. They _needed_ to hear from him. To have a message that said:

_“Yes, Pidge, I’m one hundred percent fine. Stop worrying about me.”_

They never received that message.

And they possibly never would.

* * *

  
They got back to work as soon as they landed at the airport. Taking a three day break was nice and all, however they needed to start hammering in on a new project assigned to them a week before by their boss.

They sat in their mess, what they called a living space, working thoroughly and coming up with solutions with their coworkers via a Skype call. Pidge has a notebook, which was decently organized despite the way they kept their apartment. They took down notes and suggested resolutions, ideas bouncing from one to the other. They worked until five p.m. then hung up, spending the rest of the night to themselves. They sat on their couch, surrounded by papers and other garbage lying around, eating leftover Chinese takeout they had from a week ago.

Pidge popped up from their spot upon hearing a loud knock at the door, hopping over empty boxes with spare parts lying around. They opened the door, eyes trailing upwards at the tall and built body immediately.

Their gaze met with a face destroyed by war. With hair that was graying in the middle. With an arm that was stolen and replaced with a prosthetic.

“Pidge.”

“Shiro?”

“Oh, thank god.” Shiro leaned down and hugged them immediately, nearly lifting them up off the ground.

Pidge’s mind wasn’t processing anything, they were only able to wrap their arms back around the male and hold around his neck tightly. They squeezed their eyes shut, not wanting to let go.

Pidge and Shiro went back a while. When Matt was in high school, his senior year, Pidge was in middle school. Matt met Shiro. They also happened to be soulmates, attached to the hip at all times. Shiro was like Pidge’s other brother protective of them rather than just their brother. When they graduated from high school, they went into the military together. Pidge hadn’t heard from either of the two in a year. Once they were deployed, the messages stopped.

“Where is he?” They asked, nearly choking on the words.

“Pidge, I am so sorry. I tried to protect him, I really did-“

“Where is he?” Pidge’s voice was more demanding though they kept their calm exterior.

“He’s MIA.”


	7. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> -stealthy! Hunk  
> -Pidge is desperate  
> -More Klance fluff  
> -s h a y

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just to clear up dates/time:  
> •Lance moved to the U.S. 3 (three) years ago in this particular fic, therefore making him and Hunk 20 when they met  
> •May (four years later) is when they decide to move to New York  
> •July (around Lance’s birthday) when they move  
> •end of September is the first meeting of Klance so now it’ll probably be mid-October

For two weeks Lance had been sneaking around and making up silly excuses to Hunk. He didn’t mind being alone on his days off or for a few hours before he had to leave for work. Rather, he was bothered by the white lies being told to him from one of his best friends. He was too nice to confront him; afraid of starting a fight or unnecessary drama with Lance, so he opted to follow him one day before work.

He walked all the way to the train station, making sure to keep hidden from his Cuban friend. He stopped and sat down on a bench, opening up a newspaper to hide his face. He watched the other then meet a guy who was an inch or two shorter than him, black hair, and a blue sweatshirt on. Lance’s sweatshirt. He gasped quietly, watching them head to the direction of Central Park.

Lance found his soulmate and failed to tell Hunk? He was offended, very offended. At the same time, he was ecstatic for him. His best friend found his soulmate! _How great is that?!_ He thought with a slow grin coming to his face.

The other feelings washed away as he walked to get pizza from Balmera’s, howbeit he was still conflicted. How come Lance couldn’t just tell him he found his soulmate? No, instead, he told him he was going to shop in Time Square or somewhere where they sold “hippo stuffed animals”. It was weird and he didn’t question it because he knew Lance would bury himself deeper in the ‘hippo hole’, he could not do that to him.

His mind wandered off the subject as he checked his watch, deciding he had enough time to hang around before he had to go to work. Hunk, being the new chef, was still under much training but everyone loved him. He was personable and frankly, liked to talk. He walked to Balmera’s, humming to himself. He walked into the shop which was decorated for Halloween already. Small bat stickers were on the windows, they had a skeleton in the corner dressed in Balmera apparel, and spider webs on the siding of the counters.

 _Cute_ , he thought, heading back into the line. Halloween was one of his favorite holidays because he could dress up as whoever he wanted to be. His first favorite was Christmas because he liked seeing his friends happy when they got the gifts they wanted. In general, he loved when his friends were happy. He found himself sidetracked, his mind jumping to Pidge. He hoped they were doing okay, he knew it was silly to worry but he couldn’t help it. Pidge is his best friend! He can’t help it.

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a slight pang he felt on his wrist. He tilted his head peculiarly and then looked up, seeing a _very pretty lady_ standing there behind the counter with the pizzas.

She had dark brown hair twisted into two buns, making her look like Princess Leia. She was tall, had three inches on Hunk, built with broad shoulders, large muscles on her biceps and...well, everywhere. His eyes turned into hearts as he stared, her bright green eyes looking back at him

Hunk’s jaw dropped to the floor and he blinked, was this real?

* * *

  
“Oh no no no no, this cannot be real!” Pidge paced around their room with Shiro standing by, a worried look plastered onto his face.

It had been two weeks since Shiro showed up. As soon as he released the news, they shoved the man out of their apartment and sat in silence, unsure if they were actually living reality. Shiro came back everyday to check on them, but they refused to open up. He nearly had to shove his way into their apartment.

“Pidge, if you would just calm down for a second so I can explain—“

“You!” They pointed at him, taking long strides to the male. “You were supposed to protect him!” They poked his chest hard, “You p-promised me!”

Shiro lightly put a hand on their back, “Pidge, I know. I-“

They pounded their fists against his chest, completely breaking down. “So then why isn’t he here? Where is he, Shiro? _Where_?” They automatically began to sob, gripping his shirt and leaning into him for support though they were still fuming.

“I’m so sorry, Pidge.” His voice cracked, wrapping his arms around them. “I tried. I did. It was out of my control. Then I lost my arm and they honorably discharged me and now I really can’t do anything.”

“Why haven’t they said anything? My parents should have been notified. I should’ve been notified.” They cried, squeezing their eyes tightly. “A-and now I have to be the one to tell my parents and I don’t know how. I have to do something.”

“Pidge, it’s not like we’ll be able to find him.” Shiro said softly, trying to reason with them. He knew it wouldn’t work. He knew they would do anything possible for their brother. “Even if we were enlisted in the military, it wouldn’t be up to us. Do you understand me?”

“Shh...-shut up, Shiro.” They pried away from him, wiping at their tears. “We’re going to find him.”

“Okay. Okay. We’re going to find him,” He soothed, taking a small breath. It was the least he could do, after all, he promised he would take care of Matt.

A promise he should’ve never made.

It was out of his hands.

It is out of their hands.

Shiro, ever so level-headed, knew that there was no way they could find Matt. However, he knew that if he repeated that to Pidge, it would cause further damage which is what he wanted to avoid. He knows they’re immensely intelligent; they know that they can’t find Matt. They know that it’s out of their reach. It’s in the hands of the government, the Department Of Defense. So unless they planned on hacking into their systems, there’s no way they could do anything.

Shiro noted to keep away from the words “hacking” or “systems” or “department of defense” around them. It would give them a dangerous idea that would lead to their arrest or something worse.

“Shiro we have to do something. We can’t sit here idly waiting for a call or him to be found...we can’t! Do you hear me? Are you listening?”

He didn’t respond, staring at Pidge with a pitiful look.

“If you won’t help me, t-then I’ll find someone who will.”

* * *

  
“So then _I_ said ‘there’s no way you can fit THAT into THERE’–oh I’m getting a call.” Lance laughed stumbling to the side as Keith shoved him telling him how terrible of a pun that was. Lance pulled his phone out, seeing the call coming in was from Pidge whom he had seen a few weeks ago.

“I’m sorry, could I get this?” He asked over at Keith who shrugged.

“Sure.”

He smiled, admiring Keith’s understanding for a second before picking up the phone. “Heyo, Pidge. What’s good?”

“Lance, I need your help.” The voice on the other end was thick with tears, shaky, and desperate.

He perked up, freezing immediately and putting a hand on Keith’s shoulder to let him know he had stopped walking.

“What’s wrong? Did something bad happen? Where are you?” Questions began spewing out of his mouth.

“No...Lance, _I’m_ fine,” Pidge assured, “it’s my brother. He’s MIA.”  
  
He bit his lip, trying to process the information. “I’m really sorry about that.” He said, his voice turning soft. “What do you need help with?”

“I need to hack–“

“Pidge, listen to yourself.” He cut them off before even hearing the rest, not needing to. He knew that Pidge’s desperation was enough to drive them to ludicrous ideas.

“Please, I need to find him.”

“I know, but—“

“It’s risky! I get it! If-if you could hack into a system for the government wouldn’t you? For your family?” Pidge wiped their eyes.

“I would do anything _in my power_. You have to understand that Matt...he...you can’t do anything about it.” Lance didn’t try to make it sound harsh or rude, it slid past his lips. He immediately tried to apologize and explain what he meant, but the line went dead as soon as it happened. He sighed in defeat and shoved his phone away.

“Is everything okay?” Keith bit down on his lip gently. The question had good intent yet Keith knew it for a selfish reason.

He and Lance had only been seeing each for two weeks, almost everyday for the past fourteen days, and he didn’t want their time to be disrupted. He knew it was wrong, but he didn’t want time away from him. The latino is his rock, his grounding place when he found himself lost.

“I think so...” Lance bit his bottom lip, “I’m not going to worry about it right now.” He felt guilty for not calling Pidge back or texting, he had difficulty figuring out what exactly to say.

“You sure?”

“Positive.” He gave him a smile.

“Alright, good.” Keith took a breath, grabbing onto Lance’s hand. “We really need to start finding a place indoors to hang out. It’s getting cold.”

“Yeah, it’s a little chilly. But you have my sweatshirt on, so no excuses,” he teased, nudging his shoulder with his own.

“It’s not warm enough,” he complained, pulling the sleeve of it over his free hand.

“Let me help you with that.” Lance smiled slightly and suddenly pulled the shorter into a tight hug.

“Not cutting it,” He mumbled after a minute, his arms wrapped around Lance’s waist. He hadn’t realized he craved this much affection until it was given to him.

“No?” He question, arching his eyebrow down at him.

“No,” Keith confirmed.

“I can change that.”

“Oh yeah, h–“ his sentence was cut off by a pair of warm lips, pressed against his. He let out a sound of surprise before his hands were guided by Lance’s to be around his neck. He felt slim fingers press against his back and he smiled slightly against his mouth. He allowed himself to kiss back and sink into the bliss.

Their first kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> season four man....yeah that’s all my thoughts except for the fact that I’m just shook! Lemme know what you guys thought! Also just to note I hope you guys like how I described human Shay, this is sort of what I picture tbh


	8. I’m sorry

Hey guys so I feel like I owe you an apology. I have been on a short hiatus and I didn’t really warn anybody, I just stopped writing. School has caught up with me and work was constantly overwhelming. One of my managers hates me and made me feel like shit all of the time.

Anyways, so as I was about to start writing again, November 8th, I found out my great aunt has pancreatic cancer. I realize not everyone is close to their extended family but being cuban, we all lived together. Only two years ago she moved out. She’s my hero. I looked up to her everyday. To find out she has pancreatic cancer was so devastating. The statistics are low, my mom is going crazy looking for doctors and of course it’s all right around the holiday season.

I don’t get why it happened to us. She’s not old, she’s only in her early 50s. But she’s already really sick. And it’s hard. 

So I’m not sure if I should keep this story up or delete it. If you guys have an opinion, please comment on it to help me deceive. 

I am sorry again  
-fangirlfordaysss


	9. I’m back!

Hey y’all! So I wanna thank you guys for the nice and encouraging comments. After two months, I i’m ready to be back. It was a well needed break and I hope y’all haven’t missed me too much, haha! But an update: my great aunt has been doing better with the chemo therapy they’ve been giving her. She’s going to go through restaging soon to see if she’ll have surgery or continue on with chemo for a few more weeks.  
We’ve been lucky, truly.   
The chemo hasn’t affected her badly and I feel truly blessed.   
So I also wanna tell you how the next chapter is going to roll:  
\- a few snippets of the holidays bec I don’t want these precious babies stuck in 2017 :,))  
-then hunk’s bday!!! I know it was about a week ago but it’s still his birthday month and not too late to celebrate!!!  
-it’ll be long but I’m hoping it’ll make up for the load time.  
Con amor,  
fangirlfordaysss


	10. Feliz Año Nuevo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there’s a lil bit of hunk’s insecurity, but just a hint since I’m going to delve into that later on.  
> Also the first two like paragraphs are based off of Church by Fall Out Boy,,,, MANIA is just such a great album I recommend it

The holidays brought on a strange emotion; something more powerful than love. A bond that held and would never fray or break.

Having a soulmate was a powerful thing; an unbreakable bond between two people who fit like a puzzle piece. It was every emotion intertwined together, braided so tightly it simply could not be torn. No force had enough strength to do so.

* * *

  
_Thanksgiving_

Hunk and Lance called it “Friendsgiving” despite them feeling as though they were family. But, this time it wasn’t just the two. They each had their own guests.

In the beginning of November, just a few days after Halloween passed, Lance confessed that Keith was his soulmate. Hunk didn’t let on that he already knew that, fearing he would make him feel bad about lying. Hunk then returned that excitement with telling Lance about Shay.

Shay was more than great. She was phenomenal. Her family owns Balmera pizza and she works there part time. She’s going to school to be a geologist because she loves rocks. Hunk saw her collection, neatly lined up on her shelf from biggest to smallest. They ranged from quartz to obsidian and conglomerate. When they went on walks, she pointed out all of the natural land features made up of rocks. Her knowledge wowed him while at the same time making him feel like a clown, for all he did was cook.

Pidge had decided to go home to their family for the holidays and Shiro—not surprisingly—tagged along. He felt an obligation to; the Holt family had been nothing but so welcoming to him and he hadn’t protected their son? He owed it to them, so he believed.

Hunk wouldn’t let anyone in the kitchen when he was making dinner. Lance had wanted to help cook, yet refused several times. The only time he wasn’t bothering Hunk was between the hours of eleven and three, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was going on. Keith commented that they lived in the city, so why not actually go see it. Lance argued that it was too cold and his blood was meant for the tropics, not the North Pole. Shay giggled at that, pointing out it was no where as near as cold in New York as in the North Pole.

Lance nodded and laughed, “You’re right, I don’t know how Santa does it.”

Dinner was absolutely phenomenal.

* * *

  
_Christmas_

Keith didn’t want to impose on Lance and Hunk’s Christmas. He felt bad that Lance was spending the day with him rather than his best friend. His boyfriend argued Hunk would be fine, given that he spent Christmas Eve with Shay (on the beach, in Florida of course) and he was going to Orlando to spend the day with Pidge. Then Keith felt bad that Lance wasn’t in Florida with the rest of them.

Lance really didn’t mind. He actually wanted a Christmas with Keith, by themselves. He was a romantic and a flirt, naturally he wanted everything about their first Christmas together to be special. They had spent the day sharing lazy kisses, snuggling, and whispering to each other though there wasn’t anybody else accompanying them to hear the sweet nothings. They watched A Christmas Story on loop and exchanged gifts. Weeks before hand, they made a pact to get each other nothing big or too expensive.

Both of them broke that rule.

* * *

  
_New Years Eve_

“Again, we’re in the city, why aren’t we actually going to see the ball drop?” Keith rose an eyebrow.

“It’s negative a million degrees out. And it’s way too crowded, babe, sorry to tell you. Maybe next year.”

“You’re going to make me wait that long?”

“Yep,” Lance chuckled quietly and leaned over, kissing his cheek. “Today we’ll get wine drunk and watch it on TV.”

“Don’t you have any hard liquors? I’m not a huge fan of wine. It makes my cheeks all red.” He crinkled up his nose, holding onto Lance’s arms.

“Go ask Hunk. I haven’t bought any, but he might’ve. Or Pidge could have stopped on the way..”

Pidge had stopped on the way to get a few different liquors; tequila, vodka, and Jack Daniels which was their favorite.

Keith and Pidge may have accidentally got wasted. Shiro was the only one who actually felt an obligation to stay sober, along with Shay and Hunk who weren’t much of drinkers. Although half the party was intoxicated, all of them enjoyed themselves in each other’s companies sharing the little different traditions they had. At midnight they gave many kisses and bone-crushing hugs, shouting “Happy New Year!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y’all I just wanna say hunk’s bday celebration will be next chapter! He totally deserves one to himself!!

**Author's Note:**

> yes there will be more Pidge.  
> yes you will meet Allura, Coran, and Shiro.  
> yes the next chapter is on Keith.


End file.
